No.2 Hope Street, Hope Place, Bootle, Liverpool. This end unit was home of Elizabeth Bostock, spinster dau/of Elizabeth & Robert. Elizabeth d.1846.
ROBERT BOSTOCK (2) was born 1784 at Tarleton Street, Bootle, Liverpool, where his father Robert (1) had relocated, to take advantage of the docking facilities on the north bank of the River Mersey. Although this area was devasted during the war, seven miles of docklands were available in earlier times - a map of which I hold. Six million people (many Irish) departed for worldwide destinations from the Port of Liverpool in the 1800's.
Today the Merseyside Corporation has reconstructed a marvellous tourist venue on the River Mersey, with Merseyside Museum, great shopping arcades and home units in a modern precinct. Further down river, devastation of wartime is still visible.
ROBERT BOSTOCK (2) arrived 1814 in Sydney. He immediately set out to become a merchant, conducting a business at his residence 15 Hunter Street, Sydney. He was well acquainted with trading, as it had been his lot for some years. Robert and John McQueen arrived together on 'Indefatigable 2' and both received their pardon by 1815. Robert added to his Hunter Street property with the purchase of property at the corner of Bligh Street, Sydney. On 23.1.1816 Robert married a young lady born in Old Sydney Town in 1800. RACHAEL RAFFERTY was born to ELIZABETH RAFFERTY and Captain ROBERT RHODES. The story of Rachael is interesting, full of detail, and is on the website < http://matthewbirrell.50megs.com/index.html >
As Robert had business to attend to, and family still living in Liverpool, both he and Rachael with baby daughter Elizabeth b.29.10.1816 sailed for England in the vessel 'Harriet'. Two sons, Charles Bostock b.1818 and Robert Walker Bostock b.1820 were baptised at St.Nicholas Church by River Mersey, Bootle.
By 1821 the BOSTOCK family sailed for Australia, with a letter from 10 Downing Street, London, to confirm the right to be treated as a free settler with his family, in the colony of New South Wales. He was to receive a grant according to the means which he may possess and bring it into cultivation. Robert and Rachael, with their young family arrived 1821at Hobart on "Jessie" and straightway, Robert departed on "Duchess of York" to Old Sydney Town. He needed to close down his merchants business, conducted in his absence by John McQueen.
On arrival in Hobart, the family lived in a house called 'Vaucluse' Macquarie Street. Some questions still remain , as to why so many places were named 'Vaucluse' from 1800 in Sydney, up to 1920 in Warrnambool. Rachael's mother Elizabeth held 'Vaucluse' property in Sydney, through her son Thomas Dennett. (See Rafferty in this site) Robert worked at Government Commissariat Store on arrival, before building his own bond store, on what was then, the Hobart waterfront. I have a great photo above of store, that was sold a few years later to become Government Treasury. Robert's next project was to build a vessel which he named "Governor Arthur" after the Governor, whom he had befriended. The ship was launched at Newtown in 1824. He certainly had a wide knowledge of the sea, merchandising and shipping, which he eventually put behind him as he settled in South Esk Valley, at Epping Forest.
By 1826 Robert had built quite a large stone house down by the South Esk River, near the water supply it seems. In 1826 the year GEORGE was born, Robert and Rachael were residing there and in 1828 he began construction on his last 'Vaucluse' where he and Rachael lived out their lives. This is a wonderful old home, listed but not owned by the National Trust of Tasmania, with a history of owners since Robert's decease in 1847.
When a Will was made in these earlier times, harsh clauses favoured the eldest son and so on down the line. Even the wife was most often just left an annuity, as long as she remained unmarried. The younger children received a lesser inheritance. Robert was different in that he left his will to be divided equally among 8 of his surviving children with the 9th Robert Walker Bostock managing the property for a time. "Vaucluse" property was sold in 1847 for £9,057, while younger Robert W.Bostock d.1853 six years after his father.
Set on 8,000 acres 'Vaucluse' is a four storied residence, with cellars under and an attic on the top floor. Extensive white painted stone barns, coachhouses and workshops, all work to create a picture of a graceful Australian Pioneer Homestead set in the Lomond Hills of Northern Tasmania.
Robert & Rachael had 11 children up to 1837 when sadly Rachael died at birth of James. Their first daughter Elizabeth died young, while Charles died accidently at 'Ellenthorpe Hall' Ross, aged 21. Robert Walker Bostock died unmarried, at Westbury. All the other siblings married into prominent families who followed pursuits in Western District of Victoria, Gippsland, Mansfield and gold fields.
ISSUE: ELIZABETH d.y; CHARLES unm.d.y; ROBERT unm;
RACHAEL EMILY married Michael CONNOLLY of Launceston; 'Leura' Port Fairy and Gipps St., Port Fairy. Michael was pastoralist/merchant, operating with Griffith in the shipping and whaling industry at Port Fairy, where he died in 1855. Rachael Emily died in 1856 aged 34 years.
MARGARET married Lieut Francis Crossman DOVETON, first Gold Commissioner to Ballarat 1851. He was transferred to Mt.Alexander, Victoria, prior to Eureka. Francis married secondly to Annie Snell following the death of Margaret and child in 1853 age 28. Francis d.1905 at Prahran aged 87.
GEORGE married Ann COX of 'Clarendon' Evandale, Port Fairy; 'Eumarella West' and Warrnambool - See following web page.
THOMAS EDWARD married Catherine Jane MACKERSEY of 'Greenhill' Macquarie River and Kenilworth Run, Hamilton. Thomas died young 1874 at Melbourne. Catherine predeceased him in 1866 aged 38, while managing 'Boortkoi' Hexham for Manifolds. Bostock's Creek, near Cobden is named after the first Thomas. His son Thomas E.Bostock became Mayor of Geelong 1905-1908. Edward Robe BOSTOCK cousin of T.E.Bostock (1)and his brothers, married Mary MACKERSEY sis/of Catherine Jane and occupied 'Jellalabad' before returning to England 1853 as agent for Australian family. Thomas' daughter Jessie Bostock married Frank AUSTIN of pioneering Victorian family of 'Werribee Plains' and 'Barwon Park' and 'rabbit saga'.
ELIZA ANNA married Alexander McLean HUNTER, explorer, who occupied large tracts of land in Gippsland and Mansfield regions of Victoria. 'Flemington Racecourse' was Alexander's practice racecourse in earlier times. With his four energetic brothers, they participated in most of the steeplechase events, as they had done in Scotland. The Hunter Brothers held 'Kalangadoo' in Sth Australia, while sharing a great friendship with Thomas Browne (Rolf Bolderwood). 'Belloura' & 'Keillor' north of Melbourne, were home stations of these "larrikin gentlemen" who had links to the ROME Family, some of whom lived in Argentina..
AUGUSTUS married Margaret AITKIN of 'Glen Esk' Tasmania, living at Thomas Manifold's ' Grasmere' and William Bayles' 'Coomete', and at his own 'Vaucluse' in Warrnambool in retirement. A hard working and very enterprising man, who gave employment to many families during those pioneering years. Augustus left us with a diary of daily events from 1854 to 1920 when he passed away aged 87, after a life of innovation on the land. Margaret predeceased him in 1919 aged 78. They both lived a full and colourful life. Two of their daughters married into the Lindsay family of neighbouring 'Quamby' and 'Union'.
ERNEST married Lucy Hannah AITKIN of 'Glen Esk' Tasmania and 'Lipook' Warrnambool. Ernest died 1871 aged 36, of a fever. The renovated 'Lipook' is still a beautiful home today, as is 'Brisbane Hill' at Byaduk, where Ernest lived shortly before his death. He had been an agent in Warrnambool, among other things. Ernest, like his brothers, was active on many committees and in local government, although he appeared to be of a more reserved nature. Lucy died 1911 aged 82 in Melbourne. The family of Ernest were linked to PATERSON, WARE and McROBIE lines. Daughter Lucy & John Ware lived at beautiful 'Weeripnong', once owned by uncle James Bostock.
JAMES married Alice AITKIN of 'Glen Esk' Tasmania & 'Weeripnong' Warrnambool. James was an agent and financier and lived a long life before his decease 1919 aged 82, leaving no issue. He became a star boarder with the Mack Family of Warrnambool until his death. These three ladies, were daughters of James AITKIN and Mary Meacock MANIFOLD sister of Thomas, Peter and John, pioneers of Western District, formerly Tasmania. The Manifold brothers occupied 'Purrumbete' along with many other fine properties. Fifteen years elapsed between the marriages of Ernest, James and Augustus Bostock, while Ernest had died before James married Alice Aitkin.
RACHAEL BOSTOCK died in childbirth aged 37 and was laid to rest at General Cemetery, Campbell Town, Tasmania. Robert was buried there after his decease in 1847 at age 64. We believe that Robert's family never did learn about his previous activity as a Master Mariner. Five of his sons went to the Western District and all represented their region on Road's Board, Local and/or Shire Councils over many years. The earlier years were in an honorary capacity. It is also shown that the Lindsay family of 'Quamby' and 'Union' had a continual representation on the local council for a number of generations. All the Bostock men were well known for their enterprise and integrity, while Ernest, Thomas and George died young. Many of the women also died young, along with their offspring. Lucy Bostock and Ann Bostock, both lost their husbands in the same year as a child was born, and another young child had died. They were indeed very sad and difficult times, compared to this 21st century.
